Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Forty years after the fact...and outside the whole Penn State thing...

All this comes on the same day that Sandusky was transferred to a prison in Pennsylvania that houses death row inmates. He will be in protective custody, getting exercise five days a week and showers three days a week. He will be in heightened security when he is not in his cell.

"We make individual decisions based on facts," Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said in a written statement. "Given the high profile nature of this individual, coupled with the nature of his crimes, this makes him very vulnerable in a prison setting."

Lester Munson discusses the rationale with the four-letter's Jim Basquil...

MeAngelo DeAngelo Hall is this/close to getting a suspension and a fine for jaw-jacking with an official last Sunday.

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan thought out loud that if Emmanuel Sanders hadn't DDT'ed Hall it never would have happened...

Evidence below...
((HT: NFL on Fox))

But he is already trying to spin it his way to lay off any kind of damages...he went on the "LaVar and Dukes" Show on 106.7 The Fan in DC to talk about it. He actually wants an audience with the Commish...

Which is good, aggressive marketing on his part...

"From that particular camera angle you can't see what that ref's saying to me. So it looks like I'm just out there giving him a piece of my mind and he's smiling and walks away. And that's not the case at all. He's dishing it out just as much as I'm dishing it out."

"But me and the ref was equally at fault on that particular play," he said.

Fellow defensive Skin London Fletcher is defending his D-Back...
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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

This is a cute initiative set forth by the network to get people reminiscing about the good times up north...

Mainly, when hockey wasn't on strike...

So, what happens when a flash mob of hockey players hits a mall...???
Evidence below...

Cute idea... we just wonder how many people feel jilted about the whole thing...
And we also know that the more the two sides bicker, the more they become irrelevant- especially, when the cancellation of the Winter Classic is on the horizon. And if that happens, you can probably kiss the whole season good-bye...

Monday, October 29, 2012

John McKissick, the head coach at Summerville (SC) High, recently got his 600th career win for the squad in his 61st season of coaching...

Think about that for a second...

61 seasons... first-year would have been 1952...

Braves in Milwaukee, the last year of the Truman administration, the Lakers were in Minneapolis, and the Dodgers were in Brooklyn...

THAT 1952...

McKissick is 600-147-3 and has had only two squads under .500 THE ENTIRE TIME...

The HQ is pretty tight with the coach who is number three on the national list- Lincoln County (GA) High's Larry Campbell who, in his 41st season, is 466-80-3 (only 134 wins behind). The coach who is second is John Curtis with 514 wins at his own high school namesake in Louisiana... in 44 seasons...

Here's a post-game report live from Summerville...

Here's the top ten list... thanks to our friends at FootballFridayNight.com

Not that the Montana Grizzlies program needed any more bad news associated with it...

BUT...

It all started over the weekend with six football players arrested on drug charges as they were attending a party at a place called the "Disco Bloodbath."

The HQ isn't kidding...

Griz tackle Trevor Poole is up on a felony charge of "criminal possession of dangerous drugs"- which sounds pretty serious...

Here was early coverage of the Bloodbath...
((HT: KPAX-TV))

Bail was set at $50,000, and he was supposed to show up in court Monday afternoon.

Montana AD Kent Haslam told the media that Poole has been suspended indefinitely pending a resolution of his charges. Three additional players (linebacker Nick Holt, linebacker John Kanongata'a, and offensive lineman Kjelby Oiland) are now suspended for the Weber State game pending more discipline from head football coach Mick Delaney.

"It is an unfortunate situation, but expectations are clear," Delaney said in a press release. "I will not go in to particulars about why the three were suspended, but I can say it does not involve law enforcement. I feel it is my responsibility to hold players accountable."

Robbins' required reading involves knowledge of an investigation by the Department of Justice under Title IX, Title IV, and campus (and local) authorities handling of the alleged assaults. Back in April, the head coach at the time, Robin Pflugrad, and then-AD Jim O'Day were fired as a result of the initial investigation.

DeAngelo Hall got into an episode of SmackDown with Emmanuel Sanders of the Steelers yesterday in the Redskins-Steelers game...

The HQ thinks that if he won the bout, he wouldn't have gotten into the finger-pointing fest with an official that he did... but since he lost on points to Sanders, he felt compelled to jaw-jack with someone you shouldn't...

A zebra...

The HQ is also waiting for the amount of money that the league will extract from Hall's paycheck and whether or not he'll be taking a week or so off...

In an interesting move inside the Atlantic Coast Conference, Georgia Tech is losing their AD to their rivals at Clemson.

From FOSG and Voice of the Tigers, Pete Yanity, Dan Radakovich (pictured right, thanks Fox Carolina) is replacing Terry Don Phillips who had served in the position since 2002. Kansas State's John Currie was also thought to be a top candidate for the job in the three-month search for Phillips' successor.

But the HQ is under the impression that, now, head football coach Paul Johnson is officially twisting in the breeze because of this move. Since the new Athletic Director on any campus, nine times out of ten, likes to bring in his own guy. And unless, and this is a BIG "UNLESS," the new AD loves CPJ upon arrival the a new head coach for the football program is a veritable certainty...

We know more...

1630 UPDATE: "He knows what it takes to win championships," Barker said at the press conference about the 13th AD in school history. "He has a proven track record in fundraising and revenue growth, and he is committed to compliance and student-athlete welfare."

"Clemson is synonymous with success on and off the fields of competition," Radakovich said. "I look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence."

Sorry Oregon State but you just don't waltz into CenturyLink Field (was Husky Stadium) in Seattle with an unbeaten record and expect to stay that way.Just ask Stanford who were beaten down in Seattle a month ago.

Especially against a desperate Washington Husky team that had lost three in a row coming in.

And when the Huskies broke out the black jerseys the “black magic” voodoo would get the best of the Beavers.

Husky quarterback Keith Price was efficient going 18-30 passing for 194 yards.Bishop Sankey rushed for 92 yards and scored both of U-Dubs two touchdowns as the Huskies were a perfect 3 of 3 in the red zone as the Dawgs upset the Beavers 20-17.

The guys who called the game for the PAC-12 Network, Ted Robinson and Glenn Parker, say it was the Husky defense that shined in this one. (Thanks PAC-12 Network)

“It was a tremendous amount of adversity that they were faced with in the game and they continued to show the mental and physical toughness that teams need to possess to beat a top 10-ranked team opponent.” Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I was proud of the character ours guys possessed, their ability to persevere when the game could’ve really started swaying in Oregon State’s favor when they notched it up 10-10 but our defense continually came up with stops.”

Here’s more post game sound right after the game. (Thanks KING-TV Seattle)

Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion looked rusty following a three game lay off due to a knee injury throwing three interceptions.Cody Yaz come in late in the game and led the Beavers to the tying touchdown.

“It was one of those things where I thought that it would just be good for our team.” Oregon State head coach Mike Riley said. “Cody made some good plays, almost made a couple there at the end.”

“Would I have liked to play? Obviously, but at the same time I know it’s about the team and not me. I’m behind Cody 110%.” Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion said.

Oregon State has only one tough road game left, in two weeks at Stanford.All the Beavers want to do now is hold serve for the Civil War showdown with Oregon, this year it’s in Corvallis.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

The HQ would say "pretty fired," but under the auspice of it not happening until December 1st when the buyout drops $2.5-million to $7.5-million from the astronomically, ungodly number $10-million.

Unless, of course, Charles Barkley has some poker money laying around to cut the check RAHT NAH!

The level of #Chizitude has reached 11 on the Plains...
Why 11...???

Let's see what the Auburn Tigers did this week against Texas A&M (or, more accurately didn't do against the Aggies)in losing 63-21...

A&M scored on their first 6 possessions, had four scores before Auburn had a "first down," rolled up the most yards against any Auburn team ever (671), was only five points shy of giving the Tigers their worst beating ever (68 by Georgia Tech in 1917), and gave them their worst home beating ever (previous margin 42 points).

And Chizik is not worried about his job security...

The reason he's not worried...???
Probably, because there is no job security at present...

The bottom line was that if you had Southern Cal WR Marquise Lee (like the HQ did) in your fantasy league picks, you had a good day...

16 catches for 345 yards and 2 scores as Matt Barkley went 31-for-49 for 493 yards in the air for three scores, but in a game that featured 1,206 yards of total offense it came down to a Hail Mary attempt to try and get the win in Tucson...

Here's the quick version of what happened...

So, four teams are now in play (if you include Arizona) in the Pac-12 South for the P12CG berth- when someone loses to the winner of Oregon-Oregon State.

The 9th-ranked team in the country is now looking from the outside for their Bee-Cee-Ess bid. But, hey, buck up little Trojan fan... there's always the Holiday Bowl...

Record-setting performances don't get you much if you don't get the duke...

Some Georgia tech fans thought that things were looking up when "Groh Must Go" turned into "Al-Gone, Take Me Away..."

Not so fast... apparently...

Jamaal Williams rushed for four scores and the Cougars defense held Tech without a rushing touchdown for the first time in two years. It was also the first time Tech didn't score an offensive TD since 2008.

How's that for reasons of optimism...???

Georgia Tech (now 3-5) has lost four of their last five- including games to Miami and Middle Tennessee. They didn't convert on any of their 3rd-down chances...

And if you thought that getting rid if Al Groh has helped... not really...
The defense gave up 411 yards...

Here's the highlights, if you're a BYU fan...

So, the HQ begs to ask the question...
Does CPJ go as well...???

And who does Tech get as their new boss...??? Someone who can run the system with the athletes Paul Johnson has already recruited or someone entirely different trying to put square pegs into round holes...

Giovani Bernard has to be the most exciting player
in college football.

The North Carolina running back leads the ACC in
rushing and today in Chapel Hill, NC returned a punt that Tar Heel fans will
talk about for years to come.

Bernard fielded a NC State punt and took it the
distance 74 yards with 13 seconds left to lift North Carolina past their arch
rivals 43-35 ending the Tar Heels five game losing streak to the Wolfpack.

Check it out, Bernard’s game winning punt return for
six happens at 10:29 with the call from the voice of the Tar Heels and FSOG
Jones Angell. (Thanks GoHeels.com)

Earlier in the game Bernard rolled his
ankle and it bothered him. Even with that nagging injury Bernard had something
left in the tank after all, 2006 was the last time the Tar Heels had defeated
the Wolfpack.”

“I told my backup punt returner, 'Let me
try to see what I can do on this one.'” Bernard said. “It was something that I had to dig deep in
myself. My ankle was bothering me a little bit.”

And with a hurting ankle Bernard was still elusive enough
to avoid the NC State special teams.

“He's a guy that when a play needs to be
made, he wants to be out there.” North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora said.

"As a team, we're just very blessed
to have him. Very humble kid. The play he made was unbelievable."North Carolina quarterback Bryn Renner said.

Bernard’s punt return for a touchdown
was the capper for another outstanding performance rushing for 135 yards and
two touchdowns. He also caught eight balls for 95 yards.

So when you add it all up Bernard had
230 yards from scrimmage and a career-best 304 all-purpose yards today and
three touchdowns.

Either it was great defensively, or just downright sloppy...
The game had nine turnovers- six by Florida (on a side note, the HQ would LOVZE to hear what the Coach Boom lecture was after the game...) including a last-minute strip of Jordan Reed by all-world linebacker Jarvis Jones that resulted in a touchback and preserved the UGA lead.

What was that, Lane Kiffin...??? Not interested in Jarvis Jones, anymore...???

Okay, then... Jones finished with 13 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. Not a bad day's work for the Carver-Columbus grad.

It was the first time since 1989 that Georgia got back-to-back wins against the Gators. And both teams combined for 24 penalties in a game that was beyond-chippy.

Here's the game-winning score...

Georgia now needs to beat Ole Miss and Auburn to secure its place in the Ess-E-Cee title game so they can be beaten by Alabama.

Texas needed a TD pass from back-up QB Case McCoy (Colt's little brother) with 12 seconds left in the game to grab victory from the jaws of defeat.

The Longhorns get the win, but lose a little dignity against a very bad Kansas team, 21-17.

Kansas could only muster 39 yards passing, though James Sims did run for 176 yards. Texas didn't do much of anything on offense and starting QB David Ash got benched. The Longhorns moved to 3-2 in the Big 12 6-2 overall, Kansas, a member of our "Bottom of the Barrel", is 0-5 in the Big 12 and 0-7 overall.

It was a tough day, which extended a string of tough weeks for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Though they did find a way to hold on and beat a game University of Tennesse 38-35.

South Carolina, once a Top 3 team, had to run a gauntlet of Georgia, LSU and Florida before this game. They won 2 of the 3.

They'll finish the season without star tailback Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore who missed last season after a serious left ACL injury, was carted off the field and taken to the hospital in the 2nd quarter after a gruesome injury to his right knee. He had run for 70 yds and a TD when it happened

In the end South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney forced a late Tennessee fumble and the Gamecocks move to 5-2 in the SEC. Tennessee with apparent lame duck coach Derek Dooley, drops to 0-5 in the conference and 3-5 overall.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Ooops. Missed this story this morning...and it's pretty damn funny. Although probably not so much if you are the pooped upon anchor.

Fox 40 Sacramento News Anchor Paul Robins got a bit of a surprise during his live shot Thursday at the World Series. And yes, in a bit of seeing the future, he recognized he was heading to YouTube fame and glory.

That glory came in the form of Seagull poop. Live and on TV for the folks in Sac town. Well, at least the folks watching his TV station. Or now on the Interwebs.

David Stern admits that he is going to retire on the 30th anniversary of his initial hiring by the NBA, and there is talk that one of his final acts may be restoring pro basketball to Seattle.

And the team to do it might just be the Sacramento Kings...

An arena deal falls through...
The current barn has a mattress company as its main sponsor...
The owners are a thorn in the side of the league office...
The owners wanted to relocate to Anaheim and were forced to keep their deal to stay in Sacramento...

"Seattle is very much in the mix," Stern said at the first of (now) one of his exit pressers. "My guess is that all of that gets decided when Commissioner Silver [takes over. He] will have a really interesting issue on his plate."

Stern admitted that Seattle and Vancouver were two of his regrets in a 2001 interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. So whaddya wanna bet that Clay Bennett, the head of the Relocation Committee, gets the "satisfaction" of returning basketball to the town he took it from...???

This is incredibly funny and raises more than a couple interesting questions.

Such as: How does a University of Florida ad make it into the University of Georgia's student newspaper?

But we have to say...if we are scoring the Florida/Georgia game on creativity. Florida now wins.

It appears someone got a full page ad placed in UGA's Red and Black Newspaper. And take a look at the ad. It talks about how Florida will bury Georgia, predicts the game and hypotheticalizes post game comments.

It's truly INSIPIRED!

And begs the obvious question: Did anyone at the Red and Black actually screen this before they printed it?

**Note**--We predicted the outcome of this game Thursday in our Dirty Dozen column. You can read it HERE

We stand by the pick even if we aren't totally confident in it. And add in Hurricane Sandy to the mix, and we believe Saturday's game is going to be pure craziness.

Yeah, we know, we are sorry for posting yet another "Gangnam Style" video, but this one was kinda funny because it featured 7ft 2in Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert.

Here is the setup. It happened at the Pacers "Meet the Rookie" event at an Indianapolis area mall. And it basically unfolds like a flash mob.

One dancer, then 2, then 4 and a minute or so in, here comes Hibbert, dressed in a tuxedo.

Before you lecture us about enabling these "Events" cynical fan, please remember, to many people stuff like this is funny. If it were not, why would there be a continuous flood of these spoof videos popping up.

Just the sight of a 7ft man not exactly known for his speed and dexterity as a basketball player trying to do this and do it reasonably well is enough to get a laugh...and a good reason to post this.

Clemson and Thursday night wasn’t a good mix.Heading into Thursday night’s game against
Wake Forest the Tigers were 1-9 when the ESPN cameras are focused on Clemson on
a Thursday night.

In fact the last time Clemson played Wake Forest at
BB&T field on a Thursday night the Deacs won 12-7 and Tommy Bowden was
gone, Dabo Swinney began his head coaching career soon after.

With a 1-9 record on Thursday night it’s not
surprising that it’s been three years since Clemson wanted some national exposure
on a Thursday night.

“Everybody
has been reminding me all week that Clemson is 1-9 on Thursday night games.” Clemson
head coach Dabo Swinney said. “So maybe we can start a new tradition now of
winning those games."

Well the Tigers exorcised those Thursday night
demons bombing Wake Forest 42-13 much to the pleasure of coach Swinney

Here are the highlights from Winston-Salem, NC
(Thanks IPTAY Media)

There are many explosive offenses out there in
college football and it seems most reside in the Big 12 Conference.Those teams would be hard pressed to match
the weapons and the consistency of Clemson’s offense.

Thursday night Tiger quarterback Tajh Boyd set a
school record for passing yards in a single game with 428 yards.Boyd threw for five touchdowns IN THE FIRST
HALF!Also a Clemson record.

"Tajh was just lights out.”Swinney said.

We couldn’t have said it better coach.

Sammy Watkins had his breakout game this season with
a school record 202 yards receiving.Watkins broke DeAndre Hopkins’ record he set back on September 29th.

Oh and theirs running back Andre Ellington too.Ellington is only the ACC’s second leading rusher
and contributed with 61 yards.

Yes Clemson has an embarrassment of riches on offense.The mad scientist in charge of all this
offensive coordinator Chad Morris who has a vast array of formations on his big
cheat sheet and can’t stand still with all the Red Bull he consumes.

Clemson has work to do to return to Charlotte and
the ACC Championship Game.Florida
Stateowns the tie break advantage over
the Tigers.There is still NC State on
the schedule and the Wolfpack control their destiny right now in the ACC
Atlantic Division.

This time a year ago Clemson was in a slump, it
doesn’t appear history is going to repeat themselves in Tigertown.

According to WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge, LA, Mathieu and Jefferson were charged with Simple Possession of Marijuana, Hatcher was charged with 2nd Offense Simple Possession of Marijuana and Bryant was charged with Possession With Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Baton Rouge police later confirmed. All four men will be booked into to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

Not that it surprises anyone. But it appears that school president Jay Gogue is already apologizing for the Tigers incredibly poor performance in 2012.

Gogue sent a letter, through the schools communications department to "The Auburn family, about Auburn Football".

It encourages students and the community to come out and cheer the team at practice. (Interesting since most SEC teams close practice--to everyone)

He goes on to say that "In the past few weeks, many of you have contacted me, and I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to share your thoughts about the football program. I know your concerns are sincere and heartfelt (he's getting nasty letters), and I share many of them. As we do every year, the football program will be evaluated in an objective, thorough and professional process. (Gene Chizik will be gone after the season)

By the way, the Tigers are 1-6 right now with realistically 2 possibly winnable games left on the schedule.

We, along with many others find it a bit humorous Gogue feels the need to address this in a public manner. But we are also quite sure, considering the incredible inferiority complex most Auburn fans seem to have, that many have been SCREAMING as loud as they can to Mr. President that it's time to make a change.

Because of the money involved in parting ways with coach Gene Chizik, he'll last the season. Though, when Carousel begins in December, Chizik may not be the 1st name on the firing list, but he'll be pretty high up on the list.

NBA Commissioner David Stern will announce his retirement sometime in the near future- the date is set for February of 2014.

Adam Silver is next in line as Deputy Commissioner to take over for Stern and the Board of Governors has picked him to replace Stern who has been working with the NBA since 1966. First as one of the league's counsels and then, 18 years later, he became commissioner, replacing Larry O'Brien.
"The Board has selected Adam Silver to succeed me as NBA Commissioner, and I am very pleased with their choice," Stern said in an e-mail sent to some NBA executives. "As you know, Adam is a world-class business executive who has influenced so many areas of our business during his 20-year tenure with the league, from television, to digital, to international, to merchandising, to sponsorships, to team business, to, of course, labor negotiations. I know that the organization will be in very good hands when Adam becomes Commissioner.

"What we have achieved together and will continue to achieve is extraordinary – and we will have 15 months to talk about it."

No, we aren't talking about the T.V Show starring Danny McBride. Though it is pretty damn funny.

We're actually talking about the Burt Reynolds "Bandit" and Jerry Reed's "Snowman" version mostly because the College Football season is lining up for a sprint to the finish line.

And making it all the way to Atlanta, they'll win the prize.

Really, at this point the only serious question is; "Who is going to beat Alabama?" Anybody?

But we digress---

There were no incredible surprises last week as the field narrows and the contenders separate themselves from the pack. Florida makes their move but will be tested and Oregon keeps dominating--and falling in the stupid BCS.

But enough playing of videos and on to the business at hand. Last weeks picks were 14-1 (That's more like it!). Overall, it puts the slate at 79-18. And yes, you can say it, we're pretty damn good at this.

Even though I keep babbling, I need to stick with the script and to steal Casey Kasem's catch phrase: "Let's get on with the Countdown".

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Alabama 7-0. Okay. This is starting to border on the unfair. And no, speculative football pundits, Mississippi State isn't going to beat them. LSU is the only team with a chance and that chance gets worse every week. (This Week: vs. Miss. St. Our Pick: Alabama 27, Miss St. 14)2) Oregon 7-0.We see no reason to drop them right now. Yes, they still have a few tests left. But until they falter, they get to stay here. The offense is typical Oregon, but the story has been the "D", which has played better. Still don't know if they can knock heads with a top level SEC team, but the potential is at least there. (This Week: vs. Colorado. Our Pick: Oregon 57, Colorado 10)

3) Kansas State 7-0. They get to move up by virtue of overpowering the Big 12. Collin Klein is a beast and does what is needed to for the win. The defense, unlike the rest of the Big 12 is stout. But the next test is in front of them. (This Week: vs. Texas Tech. Our Pick: K-State 37, Texas Tech 31)4) Florida 7-0. Props to Coach Boom for remaking this team in his image. But they do have flaws and we aren't totally sold. The offense...is not good. The defense though, outstanding. The message here is simple though. Win this week and you'll be in Atlanta in December. (This Week: vs. Georgia. Our Pick: Florida 24, Georgia 23)5) Notre Dame 7-0.Another team we aren't totally sold on. The offense needs work, but when your "D" is this good, you can get by. This is going to be a good year for them no matter how the next 5-games play out. (This Week: at Oklahoma. Our Pick: Oklahoma 27, Notre Dame 21)6) Oregon St. 6-0. Bravo to the Beavers for persevering without star QB Sean Mannion who has been hurt. He comes back this week. They've been stout on both sides, though they've struggled a bit running the ball. If they take care of business, it will make the Oregon game special this year. (This Week: at Washington. Our Pick: Oregon St. 31, Washington 23)

7) Oklahoma 5-1. It hasn't been an outstanding season for the Sooners, but the last 3-weeks, they've been pretty darn good. From Landry Jones to the "D", all seem to have picked it up during that time. Win this week, they are sitting pretty. (This Week: vs. Notre Dame. Our Pick: See #5)8) LSU 7-1. Such a disappointment. Yet, they still have some control over their destiny. Zach Mettenberger hasn't been much better than Jordan Jefferson and that unfortunately has been this teams undoing. (This Week: BYE)9) USC 6-1.Another team that is very hard to figure out. They sleep walked through the past few weeks, but still have a shot at affecting the BCS before it's over. They've been good, not great. (This Week: at Arizona. Our Pick: USC 34, Arizona 21)10) Miss. St. 7-0.The best SEC team nobody has heard of. Though if you look at the schedule, they really haven't been tested. Tyler Russell has been very good as has LaDarius Perkins. The schedule gets much, much tougher from here. (This Week: at Alabama. Our Pick: See #1)11) Texas Tech 6-1.Tommy Tuberville has done wonders with this team. We saw them in person last season and they were awful against Oklahoma State. But Seth Doege may be a Heisman contender. He's made them a threat in any game they play. The rest of the team is very balanced. (This Week: at Kansas State. Our Pick: See #3)12) Georgia 6-1.Another VERY disappointing team that seems to lay down whenever they are pushed. But...they are talking the talk this week, we just wonder if they can walk it. What Shawn Williams said is true, they are soft, very soft. But with the talent here, if they ever decide to play hard, they can be scary. They have a SHOT against Florida this week. (This Week: vs. Florida. Our Pick: See #4--but we aren't real confident in it)THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:5) Auburn 1-6.No, having a week off doesn't get you off the island here boys. Oh, wait....you lost to Vanderbilt. Never mind. Your stuck. This is just a REALLY bad offensive team and an average defensive team. And all the 5-star recruits in the world won't save you from bad coaching--which appears to be a big part of the problem. (This Week: vs. Texas A&M. Our Pick: Texas A&M 31, Auburn 13)4) New Mexico St. 1-6. It's always good to see the state of New Mexico still representing in the competition for worst college football team. It just warms our hearts--mmmkay. And as an added bonus, they host the highest scoring team in the land this week. Enjoy! (This week: vs. Louisiana Tech. Our Pick: La.Tech 112, New Mexico St. 17)3) Idaho 1-7. If it weren't for a win over NM State, they'd be winless. Which is also the only game they've played that's been close. If you are losing by an average of 42-16, you might have a problem. Which is why Jason Gesser is handed the keys after the Vandals fired Robb Akey. Good luck Jason, you'll need it. (This Week: vs. San Jose St. Our Pick: San Jose St. 42, Idaho 16)2) Southern Miss. 0-7.You know you aren't good when your quarterbacks mom is arrested for picking a fight with fans who criticized her son. It's not all his fault. This is just a really bad team. We'll keep saying it: Ellis Johnson won't be here long. Brett Favre will move from High School coaching to this job. (This Week: at Rice. Our Pick: Rice 10, S.Miss 7)1) UMass 0-7.All hail the king! This is a bad football team. Or at least an amazingly overmatched one. The don't do anything particularly well and with the exception of the Ohio game haven't really challenged anyone. We don't see anyone overtaking them. (This Week: at Vanderbilt. Our Pick: Really? Vanderbilt 43, UMass 10)

And so it goes. There are two really, really interesting games here (Florida/Georgia and Oklahoma/Notre Dame) that we were a bit hesitant to pick. So tune in on Saturday, we think you'll see some great football.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Prairie Seeds High and Totino-Grace played a tight 2-1 game last Thursday night, and it ended with a bunch of fists and a bunch of kids probably getting suspended if they're not seniors...

It's now in the hands of the po-po...

But it gets better...

The Minnesota State High School League investigated and found that a transfer student athlete to Prairie Seeds was not qualified because a student transfer form was not filled out. The MSHSL disqualified Prairie Seeds as a result and is looking into as many as ten Prairie Seeds players involved with the fight will be suspended.

The HQ has covered Charles Flowers since his days at Shaw High School in Columbus, Georgia. In 21 years, most in west Georgia, he compiled a record of 161-82 with a state title in 2000 after a 15-0 run. He also had 2 semi-finals and 3 quarterfinals appearances as part of a seven-year run where he had double-digit wins each time at Shaw.

It was a powerful running game that got his teams there and Flowers is now trying to run head-first into an accusation given by his home school district.

He is charging the Troup (GA) County School Board with racial discrimination as the reasoning for his dismissal in concert with the notion that he paid a mother's rent to house her two sons in an apartment in his district even though they were reported to have lived across the border in the town of Lanett, Alabama.

"We are aware that there was a complaint filed in federal court on Friday, October 19, 2012. School officials will review the complaint once it has been served and file appropriate responses in court to all allegations. It is the practice of the Troup County School System not to comment on pending litigation."

Nothing says insult like singing a Taylor Swift breakup song to a former rival to say you are done.

That is apparently what appears to be a Texas fan does to someone dressed in a Texas A&M jersey. The girl, who actually doesn't have a bad voice, tells Mr. A&M they are "Never Getting Back Together". Of course it all has to do with A&M now being in the SEC while Texas flounders in the middle of the Big 12 pack.

Best we can tell (forgive our un-hipness) this is a twist on a popular song by the aforementioned Ms. Swift. We're guessing her record company may not be so thrilled about it.

Maybe this made her feel better or it was a chance to go viral and get some attention for her semi-decent singing voice, but this is really kind of lame. Maybe Texas feels spurned out of this "Breakup", we don't know since we don't live there.

But...we are reasonably certain that A&M has no regrets about the break-up...what so ever.

New York Islanders owner Charles Wang has tried for a long time to find a new home for his hockey club- whether it's in New York or elsewhere (like, Kansas City)

Now, it appears that the Barclays Center in Brooklyn will be their new home in 2015 when the team's lease runs out at the antiquated (and downright nasty and outdated) Nassau Coliseum. The team announced Wednesday, they've signed a 25-year deal.

NHL Commish Gary Bettman hasn't been all that sold on the idea of a move to Barclays because capacity for hockey would be even less than MTS Centre in Winnipeg, but he'll be at the afternoon presser along with Wang, Islanders personnel, and other muckety-mucks.

As far back as 2003, Wang tried to introduce what became known as the "Lighthouse Project"- a billion-dollar redevelopment of the area on Long Island, but voters turned down the idea of bonds associated with the deal.

The funny thing about this is considering the current tenor of talks between the NHL and it's players, there is no guarantee there will ever be a game in Brooklyn. The NHL and the NHLPA have been at odds for months and a recent olive branch extended by the league was tossed aside by NHLPA president Donald Fehr. Many are starting to wonder if the league will be able to survive this latest stoppage in play.

OSHA has even been breathing down Nassau Coliseum's neck- citing the building for 16 violations including asbestos exposure. SMG, the manager of the Coliseum is saying that the issue has been fixed.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The Buffalo Bills already play a home game in Toronto. And, for some, that's a home game (or two) too many home games north of the border and away from Orchard Park and Rich Stadium.

So, with Bills owner Ralph Wilson getting closer to the day when he won't be around and his family either divided or disinterested in keeping the Bills after that event, what's the solution to keep them around...???

How about a 72,000-seat lakefront stadium as part of a renewal project...???

It's part of a proposed US$1.4-billion idea that could be part of that whole project...

The Bills reaction is a "Thanks, but no thanks" idea around right now...
But the city is still willing to listen to ideas- especially when the matter involves, maybe 30-percent public funding...
Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz issued a statement:
“We are pleased that there is so much interest in keeping the Buffalo Bills in our community. However, we were not contacted by the proponents of this latest plan to discuss the matter. We look forward to discussion and debate when our negotiations are complete and the proposal to keep the Bills in our community is presented to the public for consideration and to the Erie County Legislature for its approval.
In regards to the proposal released today, as we have noted before, there are several problems with the proposed Outer Harbor site, such as a lack of space needed for parking, distance from the downtown core, and insufficient road infrastructure (particularly in bad weather) to accommodate the thousands of fans heading to the site. Just this morning, we witnessed the Skyway being closed due to an accident, which resulted in traffic delays of 1-2 hours from the Skyway back to Hamburg; the Skyway currently serves as the only access point to this site.
As we have stated in the past, we will continue to work on negotiating a lease with the Buffalo Bills at their current home in Orchard Park, which the Bills have indicated they do not want to leave. While these ongoing negotiations have been productive, we will not be discussing their content in the media.”

An East Carolina University freshman, William Banks (pictured right, thanks WCTI-TV), was arrested Sunday and charged with a boatload of things that went wrong at the home of East Carolina football.

Police claim that someone drove sports utility vehicles on the field overnight Saturday and also took out concession stands and water fountains with his alleged driving prowess while under the influence.

Banks was arrested and charged with breaking and entering, first-degree trespassing, injury to personal property and injury to real property.

Here's the update from WNCT and Dowdy-Ficklen...

Banks, or someone who claimed to be him, took to a Twitter account "@xXWillECU16Xx" to explain what he did and, eventually, somewhat-apologize (pictured again, right, thanks WCTI-TV)

Banks was busted when he went back to the stadium to find a phone he allegedly dropped there- even after he was arrested earlier on Saturday for possession of marijuana.

Oh, and the person (or persons) claiming to be Banks deleted his twitter account.

In his one and only year with the Marlins Guillen did something only Ozzie could do, take a promising line-up into a new ballpark which had what little fan base the Marlins have excited and killed that enthusiasm by being an obnoxious jerk and alienating his players.

You kind of knew this marriage was on the rocks from the get go when back in April Guillen praised of all people Fidel Castro in a Cuban-American magazine, Miami’s significant Cuban population make up a large segment of the Marlins fan base.

That lead to a suspension delivered right in front of Showtime’s cameras during their behind the scenes show last season “The Franchise, A Season With The Miami Marlins”.(Thanks shosports)

The University's Athletic Director said he's not decided on Christensen's future...yet. But this probably isn't a good omen. The school has invested quite a bit of money in the coach, hoping he turn around the Cowboy program.

And while yeah, sure, he was ticked because he thought Air Force coach Troy Calhoun had one of his players fake an injury to buy time, it's still in no way shape or form an excuse for what happened.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

The HQ has covered the mini-tours and seen the likes of tomorrow. We've also seen all those guys who cling onto dreams harder than the average bear, sleep in their cars, and drive from point-to-point with a best friend or wife as a caddy just to make ends meet.

It's crappy hotels, crappy food, and still trying to find a way to stay in shape and make it to the big time.

One of the stories we've always thought was cool was "Two Gloves" Tommy Gainey...

But Gainey, like a lot of other PGA golfers, was in Sea Island for one of two reasons- trying to keep your card through finishing in the top 120 on the money list or just trying to stay in playing shape. Gainey was the former.

And, now, he doesn't have to worry about it all that much...

Knocking out a final round 60 (complete with a birdie chance from 20-feet on 18 for the mythical 59), Gainey came from seven back at the start of the day to finish one stroke ahead of David Toms for his first tour win.

Oh, and $720,000... and an exemption through 2014... and an invite to Kapalua...

And this eagle even gives him "Shot of The Day" honors...

"I wasn't thinking about 59," Gainey told PGATour.com. "See, all I did all day was just try to make birdies - and a lot of birdies - because when you're seven shots back, your chances of winning a PGA tournament with the leaders, Davis Love III and Jim Furyk ... it don't bide in your favor, man. I'm in this position, and man, it feels like I'm in a dream. I'm just waiting for somebody to slap me upside the head or pinch me or something to wake me up."

The short answer is: Because Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Dykes tells QB Colby Cameron to hand the ball off to the talented freshman...

Dixon scored six TD's in last night's 70-28 win over Idaho.

"It was good to see the way the team came out and played after a tough loss last week," Dykes said post-game. "We wanted to come out and get off to a good start after not doing that last week against Texas A&M."

Safe to say, they did...

Louisiana Tech picked up 839 total yards of offense, a single game record and the most by a Division I team this season. The Bulldogs rushed for 408 yards and passed for another 431 yards in the win.

The 70 points were the most by Tech since they scored 77 in a win over UL-Lafayette in 1998. Tech entered the game the top-ranked team in the country in scoring offense and, also tied a WAC single game record with 56 first half points.